David Beckham in new Inter Miami FIFA scandal after Lionel Messi allegation

FIFA is under fire in the United States after it was revealed that Inter Miami will participate in the Club World Cup. Over the weekend, Gianni Infantino confirmed that they would be one of the 32 teams in the tournament, which is set to take place in the US next summer.

Despite not providing its selection criteria beforehand, FIFA has stated that the MLS franchise's involvement is due to their status as a host nation. Their participation in the tournament has been officially justified as a reward for winning the Supporters' Shield, the MLS trophy awarded for having the best regular season record.

Lionel Messi and his team set a new league record with 74 points to top the table. However, they must win the play-offs before becoming MLS champions.

Regardless of their postseason performance, they know they will be at next summer's tournament and even hosting the opening game. The decision has not gone down well with other MLS teams, who have accused FIFA of favouritism.

The Club World Cup has struggled to attract interest from broadcasters, with none willing to bid for the rights, and Messi's inclusion is certainly seen as a way to boost its appeal. Fans from rival clubs have expressed their dissatisfaction over what they see as preferential treatment towards David Beckham's high-profile franchise compared to other teams.

One supporter took to social media to express their frustration.

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"They just need Messi in the tournament," a fan opined. "Can't fault them for wanting that, but the lack of process for this was pretty ridiculous." Another chimed in with skepticism about the selection process, saying: "The criteria was always the same. Whichever team had Lionel Messi was going to qualify."

A different angle came from a third person who alleged: "Even if Miami had the worst season of their history, they would have still gotten the spot. The fact that there was no criteria to get the spot means that FIFA and the MLS intended to ask Miami to fill in the final spot; they just needed a good excuse."